For small companies, Internet access is no longer a luxury;
it's a business necessity. A core part of small-business
productivity, the Internet is now used to send high volumes of
e-mail, conduct business research, store presentations for client
viewing, and provide remote workers with access to key information
back at the office. All this, however, has made additional demands
on bandwidth, leaving many small businesses yearning for faster
access options.

If you're dreaming of moving into the fast lane, now is the
time to start considering your options. Recent advancements have
made existing technologies like 56 Kbps modems and ISDN technology
more attractive than ever. Moreover, faster technologies now being
introduced, such as cable modems and Asymmetrical Digital
Subscriber Lines (ADSL), make some of the existing choices seem
downright poky.

Your options will depend heavily on the services available in
your area, your business needs and your budget. However, with a
wide range of choices hitting the market in the near future, there
will soon be more ways than ever to zip down the Internet like a
Ferrari on the open highway.

Revving Up

Analog technology is still the primary way small businesses
connect to the Internet. One of the most significant advancements
on the analog front was the development of the 56 Kbps standard,
dubbed V.90, which settled the battle over competing modem
technologies. Prior to the standard, you were forced to choose
between 3Com's x2 and Rockwell International's K56Flex; you
also had to find an ISP that supported your choice. The V.90
standard makes it easier to connect to the Internet since competing
technologies now work together.

Modems based on this international standard have been available
for several months; vendors offering V.90-compliant modems include
3Com (http://www.3com.com),
Rockwell International (http://www.rockwell.com), Cardinal
Technologies (http://www.cardtech.com) and Global
Village Communication (http://www.globalvillage.com),
to name just a few. If you purchased a 56K modem prior to the
development of the standard, don't stress: Many vendors offer
downloadable software on their Web sites that will get you up to
speed (if your modem is upgradeable).

Industry experts expect the V.90 standard to spur sales of 56K
modems, which have suffered from sluggish sales in the past.
Consumers who opt for 56K technology will likely benefit from the
increased speed: These modems perform at roughly twice the speed of
28.8 Kbps modems. However, this technology works best when
connecting only a limited number of people to the Internet.
Businesses with many employees who need Internet access or who make
heavy demands on bandwidth by e-mailing large files may soon find
themselves yearning for faster Internet access options.

Ramp Networks (http://www.rampnet.com) provides one
solution. Its WebRamp M3t ($749) enables up to three analog modems
(including the new 56K models) to work together to give network
users faster Internet access. Using a technology called
multiplexing, the WebRamp M3t spreads browser connections across
multiple modems, giving users the increased bandwidth of ISDN over
less-expensive analog lines. The WebRamp M3t serves as a router and
four-port Ethernet hub. It also allows dial-in access so remote
users can send and read e-mail, browse the Web or work on network
files.

Fourth Gear

If you're looking for better performance than an analog
modem can deliver, take a look at ISDN. While it has suffered from
a bad reputation in the past, improvements have been made in recent
months, which make it a more viable solution.

The fastest option with widespread availability, ISDN offers
twice the speed of a V.90 modem connection. Unlike 56K modems,
which are asymmetrical, an ISDN connection sends and
receives at 128K, so users benefit from the same fast rate whether
downloading or uploading. ISDN also has two "channels,"
or connections, that each perform at 64K. So if a user receives a
phone call while online, a channel will be available to answer the
call. For the price of a single ISDN line, you can have Internet
access and a phone or fax connection.

ISDN offers a step up in performance for a relatively minimal
increase in cost. But getting started requires more work than with
an analog connection. You'll need to order an ISDN line from
your phone company, connect a digital modem to your PC, and order
ISDN service from your local phone company. Start-up fees typically
cost several hundred dollars, but some monthly fees are less than
$30. ISDN service is available to about 85 percent of the U.S.
population. Phone companies are also more familiar with the
technology, making it easier to install and maintain.

For small businesses in a LAN environment, technology vendors
have rolled out new products that provide ISDN connections.
3Com's OfficeConnect ISDN LAN modem ($499), for instance,
provides LAN and Internet access in one unit. This product
integrates a four-port Ethernet hub, an Internet Protocol router,
two analog voice/fax ports and an ISDN line. The OfficeConnect line
also has a remote access product, the OfficeConnect Remote 521 ISDN
Router ($995), for providing remote office workers with a
connection to the LAN.

The Fast Lane

While analog and ISDN access make the most sense for now, new
modem technologies offering even swifter service are starting to
make a splash. Cable modems are one such technology. Although still
only available on a limited basis, cable access is quickly gaining
momentum. Check with your local cable provider to see if it offers
cable modem access or plans to do so in the future.

Cable modems operate at an average speed of 30 Mbps, delivering
high-speed performance at a substantially lower cost than anything
you can currently get. Cable access is slightly less expensive than
an ISDN connection. Time Warner Cable's Road Runner cable
service, for example, which is available in more than 2 million
homes in 17 cities nationwide, typically costs $39.95 per month,
including cable modem rental; installation charges run around
$99.

Experts believe a new cable standard will help cable modems
avoid the incompatibility issues that have plagued other modem
technologies. An industry specification known as Multimedia Cable
Network Systems (MCNS) was recently adopted; at press time, some
vendors had already released MCNS-compliant modems, with more
expected to follow soon.

Despite the abundant benefits, cable modems only make sense for
home users right now. Cable companies are working to provide access
to more small-office environments, but they still have the highest
penetration in residential areas. Richard L. Edson, senior vice
president of new business initiatives at 3Com, says, "Because
cable operators are more into home entertainment, SOHOs and
consumers will probably be more easily captured by cable."

Checkered Flag

Of all the up-and-coming technologies, ADSL seems to be the most
suitable for small-business environments, according to the experts.
"Businesses will be the only ones able to afford ADSL
initially, so it will make a lot of sense for small offices,"
says Abner Germanow, research analyst at International Data Corp.,
an information technology research firm based in Framingham,
Massachusetts.

ADSL delivers data at slower speeds than cable does, but it
still provides very rapid access, with speeds of up to 8 Mbps. Like
ISDN, ADSL is a digital access technology, so it provides a more
reliable connection than analog. Another benefit of ADSL is that it
uses the traditional copper phone lines that phone companies
already have in place, which means it's less expensive to
provide. And consumers don't need to invest in a new line.

Unfortunately, ADSL availability is sporadic at best. In many
cities, ADSL remains in trial stages among a small number of users.
Some phone companies, however, have begun to launch full ADSL
service in select cities. For instance, US West recently launched
ADSL service with access speeds of up to 7 Mbps in 40 cities,
including Minneapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City and Seattle; it
should be available in all 40 cities by the time you read this.
Other telecommunications companies, such as Bell Atlantic and SBC
Communications, plan to offer ADSL service on a very limited basis
by year-end.

In the meantime, telecommunications companies and technology
vendors are working to release a variation of this modem technology
called "ADSL lite" to demonstrate that the service is
viable. With data transmission speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, the
technology is about 30 times faster than 56K modems, although
significantly slower than full-speed ADSL. At press time,
interoperability problems were still being worked on; ADSL lite
should be widely available by summer 1999. 3Com says it will add
ADSL lite to its product line this year. Other vendors plan to
release ADSL lite products by year-end, as well.

When several of these modem technologies enter a market around
the same time, tough competition is bound to follow. So far, the
arrival of cable and ADSL has spurred better service as well as
lower prices, and experts expect this trend to continue. Since all
these modem technologies will most likely be available in your area
eventually, the best approach is to be open to trying out new
technologies--while carefully considering the best solution for
your specific business needs.